Santa Claus

or Santa Klaus. A corrupt contraction of Sankt Nikolaus
(Sankni kolaus - i.e. St. Nicolas), the patron saint of
children. The vigil of his feast is still held in some places, but for
the most part his name is now associated with Christmas-tide. The old
custom used to be for someone, on December 5th, to assume the costume
of a bishop and distribute small gifts to “good children.” The present
custom is to put toys and other little presents into a stocking or
pillow-case late on Christmas Eve, when the children are asleep, and
when they wake on Christmas morn each child finds in the stocking or
bag hung at the bedside the gift sent by Santa Claus. St. Nicholas' day
is December 6. The Dutch Kriss Kringle.